Self aligning bearing



Patented Apr. 1938 .v n

2,114,051 j v i SELF ALIGNING BEARING l .,EdwirdA. Freed, Mollne,` m. i Application August 9, 1937-, Serial No. 158,094

i, l vQ2 Claims. (l'ilBiI-"Imr i My invention relates. toi-self aligning bearings ends thereof and is adapted to engage the socket Lior shafts,v of thaty generaldesignfofifstructure I4 oi the Supporting'breeket U.

shown in my Patent 2,001,383 which issuedunder The bearing sleeve 1 is held in operating posii y `date of May 14, 1935, whereinithe bearingis'autortion in'engagement with the socket `Il by means `5 Y laticallyadjusted by the shaitinto axial, aiign'- or a'pair oflretainingblocks 2|' whichare dis`- 5 4meut therewith.` l t i l .fr i posed*`I` above the bearing sleeve t in transversely The principal object of my present invention Spacedapart relation. A rib 22 is formed "on` the t fdisvto .provider a, typen! `self aligning bearing' 'Qute'i'jedg feach vblock 2| and isardapted t0 i f fjwherein the bearing sleeve is' supported inthe `engage the groove I2 in the adjacent side memisupporting bracket insuch a manner thai-it may" ber- 'Ihe rib22 serves tohold the block 2| in l0 i j be easily adjusted angularlyiritoA the aligned posia vertical `position and. to lprevent lateral dis-- `Wiiori butjseeured against bodily movement relative placement thereof.' The lower surface or the "to said bracket. block 2| is spherical and'coniormsA to the outer I i `A further objectis to provide a bearing strucsurface foi thev ball I 9 and-engages therewith;

ture of this kind which maybe readily assembled' e The blocks `-2| are held in engagement with the 15 and wherein the parts are securely held against bali portion I9 by conical wedge members 24 displacement. which engage with outwardly and upwardly tat The foregoing and'stiu further objects and ad; 1 lperins srooves 25' formed on the upper side of vantages .of the invention will become apparent the blocks 2|. 'Ihe wedge members 24 are slidto those skilled in the art after e study or` the ably: mounted on a pin which is supported in 2o following specification. taken in conjunction with aligned holes provided in the'llpper ends 0f the th accompanying drawing wherein like charside members Thepin 25 iS Secured inthis acters of reference designate corresponding parts PO-Siiin by a 60u21' 25 Which extends thru a hole f throughout the several views, and wherein:-- in One lend 0f the,pin and thruV aligning holes Figure 1 is an elevational side viewoi the bear- AIJIOVided in lille Side member ii- The `'Wedge 25 ing structure; i members 24 are urged o twardly to engage the Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the grooves 25 by a spring 2 disposed between the structure shown in Figure 1; l members. The ends 0f the Spring are Seated Figure 31s a longitudinal vertical section taken i in recesses 28 provided 101' this Purpose in the substantially on the plane of line 3-4-3 of y Figinner ends 0i' the Wedge members 24 and is thus` 30 ure 2 but showing the bearing sleeve and shaft in held against displacement. y 4

elevation; and, t The wedge members 2| acting ssigainsi, the Figure 4 is a transverse vertical section taken blocks 2| serve to hold the bearingr Sleeve'l in on the plane of line 4`| of Figure 2. placesagainst bodily displacement. At the same 35 'I'he bearing structure includes a supporting time, because ofthe ball and socket connection 35 `bracket 6 andbearing sleeve 1. 'I'he bracket 8 between the bearing Sleeve 'i and the Supporting comprises al base 8 which is substantially recbreekei" 5, the Sleeve iS Permitted t0 mOVe angutangular and is provided, adjacent each end with lelly into XiB-l alignment With the Shaft i8. Any

, apertures 9 adapted to receive remining bolts tendency of the bearing sleeve 1 to move upward- 40 (not shown) for securing the bracket in place. 1y or longitudinally or' laterally is prevented by 40 A'pair of spaced parallel vertical side members the blocks 2| engaging against the wedge mem' extend upwardly from the base l. A vertical bers u' fmsvlreslfuts obtainezd ,by reason of the groove or guide I2 is provided on the inner side prglculaing 10 Pn? goov s the tensigr.:

of each side member for a purpose to be later o d nei sp 1g t'th e ens gg. o le Spring described.v A spherical socket I4 is formed on an e ang e o e grooves are n such rela' I tion that any tendency oi the sleeve I8 to move the base 8v between the side members I and is upwardly bodily is resisted as thoughjii were adapted to receive the bearing sleeve l. The outpushing directiyagainst the pin 25, It is. there er edge of the .Socket '4 is beveled slightly at 5 fore, impossible for the bearing sleeve Il to beto provide clearance for the sleeve 1y to swing come displaced from the socket I4 through any 50 angularlyupward pressure oi the sleeve. A further advan- 'Ihe bearing Sleeve 'i comprises a cylindrical tage of this construction is that any wear which member I6 having a central longitudinal bearing might occur between the sleeve I0 and the socket opening Il to receive a shaft I8, a ball portion I9 I4 will be automatically taken up by the action of is formed around the sleeve 1 intermediate the the wedge members 24 against the blocks 2|, 5s

since the members 2l are constantlyrurged outwardly in contact with the inclined grooves 25' by the spring 21. Therefore with my improved construction there can be no looseness or rattle while in normal service caused by natural wear of the several parts of the self aligning part of the bearing. 'I'his improved construction eliminates direct pressure against the springs or other resilient means as commonly used in conventional designs and provides for automatic ad- Justment to take up wear while also vproviding' accompanying drawing, the speciilc form in which I prefer to embody my invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited. to the specific means which I have herein shown and described, and that, in fact, widely dlil'erent means may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of my invention.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A self aligning bearing comprising a supporting bracket having a socket, a bearing sleeve having a ball portion cooperating with said socket and adapted to permit said sleeve to move angularly relative to said bracket, and means for holding said ball portion in engagement with said socket in any adjusted position including a pair of retaining blocks, each said block having a spherical surface on its lower side to engage said ball portion and a beveled surface on the upper side, a pair of wedge members engaging the beveledsurface of said retaining blocks, and a spring between said wedge members engaging both said members to automatically urge them apart and thereby to hold said members in locking engagement with said retaining blocks. Y

2. `A self aligning bearing comprising a supporting bracket having a pair of spaced parallel side members, and a socket between said side members, a bearing sleeve having a ball portion cooperating with said socket and adapted to permit said sleeve to be adjusted angularly relative `toV said bracket, means for holding said ball por-4 tion in engagement with said socket in any adjusted position including a pair of retaining blocks having spherical surfaces on their lowex sides to engage said ball portion and 4beveled surfaces on their upper side, a pin above said blocks and supported in said side members, a pair of wedge members mounted on said pin and engaging said beveled surfaces. and a spring between said wedges to automatically urge said wedges in opposite directions and against said blocks to hold said blocks in locking engagement with saidball portion.

EDWARD A. FRIED. 

